My Willys 3A and 3B Community
3A, 3B, DJ Technical Knowledge Base => "Original"-- Technical Questions, Answers, Observations => Topic started by: Steve on January 02, 2014, 09:09:43 PM
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MD Juan Tub and other parts arrived today. It is going to be a few weeks prior to my mounting it to the frame.
This tub must have been made after June of 2013 because it has the improvements that were listed on the MD Jaun Tub thread.� I did a quick measurement of the transmission cutout compared to my original tub and it looks like they have made the fix (note the weld seam in the picture, they may be making the fix late in the manufacturing process). Of course, I will not know for sure until it gets mounted. Gas tank opening might be correct as well. I will keep folks posted as to how things turn out and the issues, or lack thereof with this latest generation of stuff. I bought the complete kit, so there will be plenty to report. Generally, a quick scan of the Tub didn't reveal any major fit and finish issues.
If you have questions about the tub, the other parts, want to see pictures, etc., I will do my best to provide the information. The only caveat is that I generally only have time on weekends to work on the Jeep.
Steve
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Holy Toledo!
A new tub....! It looks fantastic...
Any pictures you care to post are welcome. I'd like to see how the hat channels line up to the frame mounts when you get that far....so you got the fenders/hood and tailgate?...wow..
Do the gauges fit?
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Got the whole shooting match: hood, fenders, windshield, and tailgate. Not where I planned to be, but rusted out fenders, cracked tailgate, a CJ2A hood with serious issues, tub with major rust in various regions and really bad prior attempts at repair have forced the issue. :-[
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Steve,
Good job. I envy your late-production tub. I received mine about 7 years ago now. Many problems. Very many problems. Because of several warnings I completely assembled my entire Jeep before paint. Several components didn't fit at first. I didn't want to do any cutting, grinding or welding after paint (and I had a lot of that to do). Then I completely removed all the body parts and painted them separately. Final assembly then went without difficulty.
(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo336/calvinhunt/JeepRebuildIII016-2.jpg)
(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo336/calvinhunt/Fit%20tub%20to%20frame/JeepRebuildIII007.jpg)
(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo336/calvinhunt/JeepRebuildIII001.jpg)
(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo336/calvinhunt/15Finished.jpg)
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Looking forward to the assembly process Steve. I made the choice to continue on with the original rusted out tub mainly because of the Juan production issues sighted in this and the 2A forum. In hindsight given the production corrections at Juan I think you made the smarter, and likely less costly choice.
I think yours is the latest corrected (hopefully) tub that we will have a chance to view, your project may be the game changer....
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Got the whole shooting match: hood, fenders, windshield, and tailgate. Not where I planned to be, but rusted out fenders, cracked tailgate, a CJ2A hood with serious issues, tub with major rust in various regions and really bad prior attempts at repair have forced the issue. :-[
I'm sure you will have an excellent result. I easily spent more than a replacement tub cost in repairing my old tub....
I'm sure you know this, but keep all the old body parts. You never know when you may have to measure the location of a bolt hole or a bracket of some sort.....and when it's all said and done the old tub will be worth something to somebody...It is in better condition than mine was....
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Rotated the pics for you.
They made me dizzy. :)
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Sorry I made you dizzy ;) I anticipate that it will be a couple of weeks when I get the chance to get the tub on the frame. Of course, I first need to get the holes for the pedals done.
Sometime this weekend, I will take a bunch of pictures of the various parts and post them in this thread. If you want me to take a photo of a particular part, or from a certain angle, just let me know. I figure the pictures will be a goo reference for that time when things don't go together as planned.
I am in no hurry to get rid of the old tub for just the reasons that have been mentioned.
Steve
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I am definitely watching this thread because at this point for me the only save able parts on my jeep are the dash, the cowl, and the grill. At least of the body parts, really love 60 Years of road salt and what it does to a vehicle.
By the way Willys Overland is having a sale on tubs and kits till January 31st only need to come up with 3500 or more for a kit. :0
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Here are some pictures of various parts of the new tub.
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More....
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and it for now. As soon as I get some assistance, I will take a few pictures of the bottom. Overall, the primer paint job looks pretty good, smooth and blemish free. The sheet metal work appears to be pretty good as well.
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From what I can see, it looks pretty good.� There still seems to be a little �mixing� going on.�
The key switch hole is the 2A location, as are the punch outs on the firewall for a heater.� Punch outs for a 3A would normally be on the passenger side.
The tool box latch looks 3A, along with the water rail around the edge.� Did they install the drain channel and hole at the back of the tool box compartment?
It really does look good.� If you get a chance, add a photo looking down on the top of the wheel houses, and a shot of the hat channel supports on the underside.
This should be a fun one to watch.� Thanks for sharing.
�
Tim�
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As I'm sure Calvin would agree, your tub is miles ahead of the tubs we had to start with already! I'll be watching this thread with great interest as your build proceeds. It is great to see MD Juan finally listen to customer feedback and fix some of their simple problems. Good for them!
I think you will be pleased with buying the complete body kit. A lot of the difficulty others have had was were original parts were fitted to aftermarket parts. I too used the entire kit (except for one fender and the grille) and most of the parts fit very well. The one original piece I reeeallly wish I could have reused was the tailgate. The aftermarket tailgate is just not as stout as the original.
Take lots of photos!
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The BIG DAY, attempting to get the tub on the frame, hoping for not to many issues.
The Good:
The tub hat channels all aligned with the mounting points on the frame. The two center mounting points on the rear bumper lined up perfectly, the outside ones on the left and right were off a bit, but given the bumper has been bashed around, not surprising. Easy fix to make the holes in the braces a bit larger.
Drilled holes for mounting and everything seems OK. Steering column is not an issue and the pedals are well aligned with the holes I cut. Probably a little additional elongation of the brake and clutch pedal holes will be needed, but this will be in spec of the original tub.
The Bad:
Left fender top bolt hole will have to be elongated a bit in order to line up with the captive bolts.
The transfer case short shifter just touches the frame when moved forward. Not going to do anything about this one, because things will probably settle in a bit when the vehicle becomes operational. Final solution might be to bend things a tad.
The Ugly:
Right front fender does not want to fit. It looks like the brace is a little about 1/2-3/4 inches forward of where it needs to be in order for things to fit. Contemplation time to see what the simplest remedy will be. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
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Looking good.
On the right fender issue, I had to drill out the spot welds and move the brace to get my fender to line up. Wasn't that bad to do if I remember.
Steve
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Looking good.
On the right fender issue, I had to drill out the spot welds and move the brace to get my fender to line up. Wasn't that bad to do if I remember.
Steve
I'd like to ask you guys to contact Rommel about this issue if you haven't already....He is eager to correct the faults from what I have seen, and is a member on most of the jeep pages out there.� Photos of the trouble areas may help as well as a serial number from the tub. Thanks!
Edit: I sent Rommel an email with a link to this thread. I'm sure he will be participating in the discussion.
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I'll be repeating this in a couple years--so I heartily endorse the comment that you pass any problems on to Rommel & MD Juan.
-Paul
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I second CJPilot.� Drill out the welds and move the channel support.� If it were a fraction off, I would consider enlarging the holes in the channel.
I noticed your steering column. Not a problem!� On original Willys Jeeps, they used circular shims, between the steering box and frame, to center the steering column.� Very easy fix.
Tim
Oh, wanted to add... make sure you have the body mounts in place.� They will change the geometry a bit.
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I also had to enlarge one of the fender mounting holes to get a good fit. At the time, it was one of the minor fixes I had to make so I didn't really think much about it. Mine was only 1/8" off though..
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I'm here!! I will have the team check on the issues and get back to you.
Cheers!
Rommel
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(http://i1328.photobucket.com/albums/w526/rommeljuan/happynewyear_zps4fe80533.jpg) (http://s1328.photobucket.com/user/rommeljuan/media/happynewyear_zps4fe80533.jpg.html)
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Wow, now the pressure is on. I went back to the workspace tonight to think about the fender and it's issues. Here is what I learned:
1. I don't think that the issue is with the placement of the support. A few measurements indicate that it should be positioned correctly relative to everything else. I won't know for sure until the fender is mounted.
2.� The problem appears to be interference with the bottom of the fender and the battery holder. Here is my reasoning.� Take a look at the following picture. The original fender is on the left, the new on the right. Note the area on each photo that I highlighted. On the old fender the edge of the fender is aligned with the bracket. On the new fender, the edge of the fender extends beyond (left in this picture) the bracket. This area extended beyond the bracket hits the battery holder and possibly the frame, thus preventing alignment and fender attachment.
�
The good news is that some judicious removal of sheet metal should make things work out. I probably won't get to this stage until the weekend. As a further note, it does appear that the old fender would work fine, so the fitment issue is not due to the tub or tub alignment.
Rommel, if you are interested in my old fender to use as a reference, I would be happy to figure out a way to get it to you.
Steve
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What's wrong with your original fender other than the brace? That's an easy fix to. From what I can see in the picture, the fender looks to be in good shape.
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Battery acid has chewed the crap out of the area under and surrounding the brace the entire vertical length. There are other issues as well. That isn't to say a more skilled individual than I could fix it up.
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Very nice. Hope the fender is an easy fix.
Zeke
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Hi Steve,
Will look into that fender skirt issue. No need to supply me with your original fender, we have several samples in the plant.
Cheers,
Rommel
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Steve,
I am getting ready to pull the trigger on a new tub. Who did you buy this one from? I would like to make sure I don't buy a tub that has been sitting around for years.
Thanks,
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Dear Peter,
Sorry to take so long to reply. Work has intervened with the project. However, I did drop all of the bits off at the paint shop today :).
I purchased the tub from Walcks. It was drop shipped from the distributor.
Steve
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Thanks Steve!
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Tub is now painted. Hope to get it mounted this Saturday. Fingers crossed all goes well. The local Chevy dealer body shop did the job.� They were super nice, helpful, and into supporting the project.� They even packed up all of the parts for free without me asking. :)� they also loaned my a sandblaster. Sometimes it's nice to live in a really small town in the middle of nowhere.
Steve
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Very nice. Bet you anxious!
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Like the color, its going to be a beauty!
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Steve,
Outside of the items mentioned in this thread. Were there any other items that you needed to address?
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Too early to tell. I imagine that there will be plenty of things that come up when we try to get the tub mounted permanently. Wiring might prove challenging as well. I will post issues as they arise.
Steve
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Tub and various parts went on today. No major glitches, things lined up pretty well lessons learned include:
*Start at the front and work toward back (grille, fenders, etc.)
*Do rear bumper mounts after other tub mounting points are tightened down. There is quite a bit of give in the L-brackets that mount to rear bumper so they can be bent into alignment by tightening the bolts.
I had to cut a notch in the forward part of the cutout for the transfer case shift levers in order for the shifters to have full forward travel. I may have to do a small cutout for the shift lever as well. If the tub could be mounted about 3/4 inch further forward, there would have been no issues.
The big relief was that in all cases, the floor supports rested on the mounting points.
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Wow, huge progress!
It looks really good and the fit looks perfect..
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Very nice. Hope to be at this stage soon.
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Very nice! I really like the tow hooks mounted to the top of the frame in front. They would make it handy to pull start or strap it to a trailer.
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First major snag today. Took the window frame to the glass shop for mounting the glass only to learn that there is not enough of a lip on the bottom to mount the seal. Apparently, the opening for the window was not cut out symmetrically...to much lip on top, not enough on the bottom. I am likely going to have to weld in a strip on the bottom. Not a happy camper given that the frame is painted. :-/
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Steve, I just received my body kit today. I tried to fit on the tailgate and the hinge is about 1/2 inch off....... BOOO sorry about the window. Thanks for giving the heads up though.
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I haven't tried there tailgate...I sure hope that I don't have an issue there as well.
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Steve,
Here are a few pics of my tailgate.
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Steve, I had an issue with my repro windshield as well. The bottom portion on my glass opening was not formed completely and I had to rebend the lower lip........after I had the frame painted. By the time I was finished with the bending, I had to repaint the windshield.
Make sure you let MD Juan know about the issue. The have a topic on this forum dedicated to their parts and have been pretty good about correcting on going issues. It is probably not going to help you, but it may save someone else in the future.
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For those who are following this thread. I tack welded a strip of 18 gauge steel along the bottom of the windshield opening. The guy at the local glass shop indicated that it would fix the problem and he should be able to do the install without the prospect of the windshield popping out.
If I had trimmed the lip down to ~3/8" my repair would have been invisible, with my handiwork, a few of the tack welds will be visible beneath the gasket.
I discovered today that the local paint shop can put any kind of paint one needs into an aerosol spray can, rattle and all. (This is probably not news to many of you.) A spray can of the vehicle paint proved to be extremely handy for painting the sheet metal strip.
Onward!
Steve
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Good to hear that you solved the problem.......
Was your old window frame unusable?
More Pictures!
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The old window frame is actually in pretty good shape. I didn't use it because I ordered the whole kit including the windshield.
It is worth noting that I did not have any issues with the tailgate; it fit fine with everything aligned. The only other tweaks aside from the windshield have been having to trim tub in order to accommodate the shifters. The trimming should be largely invisible under the rubber boots.
Two of the most important tools for tub and body part installation are a Dremel tool equipped with a cutoff wheel or a grinding wheel, and a round metal file. The round file is a particularly quick and effective tool for enlarging and/or extending holes in the sheet metal in order to align bolts with the captive nuts.
I will try to take some more pictures this weekend.
Steve
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we will take a look at the tailgate issue.
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Rommel,
What about taking a look at the windshield frame?
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Wow, now the pressure is on. I went back to the workspace tonight to think about the fender and it's issues. Here is what I learned:
1. I don't think that the issue is with the placement of the support. A few measurements indicate that it should be positioned correctly relative to everything else. I won't know for sure until the fender is mounted.
2.� The problem appears to be interference with the bottom of the fender and the battery holder. Here is my reasoning.� Take a look at the following picture. The original fender is on the left, the new on the right. Note the area on each photo that I highlighted. On the old fender the edge of the fender is aligned with the bracket. On the new fender, the edge of the fender extends beyond (left in this picture) the bracket. This area extended beyond the bracket hits the battery holder and possibly the frame, thus preventing alignment and fender attachment.
�
The good news is that some judicious removal of sheet metal should make things work out. I probably won't get to this stage until the weekend. As a further note, it does appear that the old fender would work fine, so the fitment issue is not due to the tub or tub alignment.
Rommel, if you are interested in my old fender to use as a reference, I would be happy to figure out a way to get it to you.
Steve
here is our improvement on the 3a/3b fenders:
(http://i1328.photobucket.com/albums/w526/rommeljuan/cj3afenders_zps59ee8c6b.png) (http://s1328.photobucket.com/user/rommeljuan/media/cj3afenders_zps59ee8c6b.png.html)